WHY?
by sabs31
Summary: AU. Arwen is being sent away and nobody understands why.
1. Part 1

Title: WHY????

Disclaimer: I own none of the characters. They are all creations of Tolkien.

Summary: AU. Arwen is being sent away and nobody understands why. Repost.

Part 1

They were gathering lilacs in the garden, as was their tradition at this time of the year. They would gather large bunches of the sweet purple blossoms and put them everywhere inside the palace. It had been the tradition ever since the Lord's Lady had departed for Valinor many years before. The Lady's four children, including her foster son, worked tirelessly all day to gather their mother's favorite flowers in her memory. The twins, mirror images of each other and their father, walked alongside the younger two, carrying the bunches of flowers. Their little brother and younger sister cut them and handed them up to the other two. Their father watched them sadly from the palace as he did every year. He watched them as young Estel handed one of the pretty blossoms to his sister. Arwen smiled at him in thanks and tucked the flower behind her ear. Estel grinned with pleasure and returned to picking flowers.

Estel's actions worried Elrond. He'd seen in his mind what the future held for the pair and he didn't like it. Maybe a few measures were due in order to prevent the relationship from growing. Perhaps sending Arwen to Lothlorien as her grandparents had been asking was what was necessary. He knew they wouldn't understand his actions but they'd thank him later. He was going to do everything in his power to keep Arwen from following the path of Luthien. He wasn't going to allow his daughter to suffer that way. Even if it meant they did not understand it at the present time. 

*****

"To where, Ada?" Arwen asked shocked at the news her father had just delivered her.

"To Lothlorien, Arwen," Elrond repeated keeping his sight straight ahead. He couldn't bear to see the look at the stricken expression on his daughter's face.

"But why? Did I do something wrong, Ada? Why are you sending me away?" she asked as tears began to gather in her eyes. Elrond knew they were there even if he didn't dare to look at her now. He's break down in front of her and he wouldn't be able to go through this.

"You did nothing wrong, my Undomiel. Your grandparents have been asking me to send you for some time. I have decided to finally grant them their request. They want to spend some time with you," he explained to her still gazing straight ahead. When he knew he couldn't fight the tears any longer, he turned around and faced the window instead of his daughter. Only then did he allow the first tears to fall.

"But I don't want to go, Ada. Why must I go? I want to stay here with you. And Elladan. And Elrohir. And Estel," she wailed. _And mother_, she added in her mind. "I don't want to go to Lothlorien!" she cried. "Please, Ada, don't make me! I beg you! Please don't make me leave!"

"Because I said so," Elrond snapped, shocking Arwen at the tone of his voice. "You go to your room and pack. You are leaving tomorrow at first light:"

Arwen stared at her father in shock as tears fell down her face. A sob escaped from her mouth as she stood backed up from the room. Spinning around, she dashed out the door almost slamming into Elladan and Estel who were coming towards the study. The two brothers watched bewildered as Arwen raced down the hall. Her sobs followed in her wake. 

Confused, the pair walked into their father's study to find out what had happened. They saw their father with his back towards them. They approached Elrond curiously hoping to decipher what had happened.

"Ada, what's wrong with Arwen? Why is she crying?" Estel asked taking a few steps nearer to their father than Elladan.

"Nothing is wrong with your sister, Estel. I simply informed her that she would be leaving for Lothlorien in the morning," Elrond answered, preparing himself for the upcoming confrontation with his sons. They wouldn't understand his actions either.

"To Lorien. Why, Ada?" Elladan asked from his position halfway across the room. The decision made no sense. Their father knew Arwen had no wish to go to Lothlorien.

"Because I have said so, Elladan, and that is reason enough," Elrond growled back at his son. 

Estel's eyes widened at the harshness in his father's voice and he cautiously took a few more steps forward." But why do you say so, Ada? Why must Arwen go away?" he asked innocently.

Elrond had had enough. Whirling around, he accidentally slapped little Estel across the cheek, sending the boy sprawling to the ground a few feet away. "Because I said so, Estel. Now go to your room!" he roared.

Estel's eyes widened further at the sight of his enraged father. His lower lip began to tremble as his cheek began to throb with pain. His eyes filled with tears. With fear in his eyes, he scrambled to his feet and without looking back; he sprinted out of the room and down the hallway. His sobs just beginning to voice themselves.

Elladan's eyes had widened in shock at his father's actions and words. Estel had done nothing but ask a few questions. He had not deserved such a response from the man who he had always seen as his father. "Ada, that was unfair, He only asked a question," he said standing up for his little brother. 

His father turned his rage towards him now. "Elladan, if you are wise you will retire to your room as well before I have you thrown in there," Elrond growled. 

Elladan stood up straight as he stared at his father in the eyes. He took a few steps backward before he finally turned around to leave the study. Just before clearing the door, he turned around and said, "As you wish, _Adar._"

Elrond winced at the formality of the word his son had used as he had left the room. Sighing, he sank down onto a chair and contemplated what had happened. His daughter's reaction, he had expected. His sons' as well. But his own actions and words had surprised him. He had not meant to be so harsh on his sons, especially Estel who didn't understand anything. Sighing again, he lowered his head down to his hands and let the tears finally come.

TBC…


	2. Part 2

Title: WHY????

Disclaimer: I own none of the characters. They are all creations of Tolkien.

Summary: AU. Arwen is being sent away and nobody understands why. Repost.

Part 2

Elrohir had come out of his bedroom at the first sound of the sobs coming down the hall. It was Arwen who flew into her bedroom before he could say anything. He was walking down the hallway towards her room when he saw Estel emerge from their father's study. The little boy was running at full speed blinded by his tears. Elrohir stepped out into the middle of the hallway to intercept the boy. As Estel ran past, Elrohir wrapped his arms around him and held him tight against his chest. The boy's sobs were coming so hard that ha was gasping for breath.

"Estel, what is wrong? What happened?" he asked the hysterical little boy.

"A-A-Ada hit me! And he yelled at me!" the boy wailed as some comfort was finally offered to him. 

Elrohir watched the boy bewildered when out of the corner of his eye, he saw Elladan emerge from the study with a scowl on his face. His twin brother was stomping towards them with his hands clenched into fists. Elladan came to a stop infront of his brothers and knelt down to rub Estel's back in an attempt to south the boy.

"Elladan, what happened in there?" Elrohir asked his twin in a whisper.

Elladan sank back onto his heels and looked at his brother. Looking at Elrohir was like looking into a mirror with an image of a very confused young man. "Adar finally lost it. He is sending Arwen to Lothlorien tomorrow at first light" As the words were said, the sobs from within their sister's room increased. 

Elrohir glanced worriedly into the room and them back at his brother. "Go on, " he urged.

"When Estel questioned him as to why, he blew up at him and slapped him across the cheek," Elladan said as the sobs from the little boy grew harder as he remembered what had happened.

"Why would Ada make such a decision? It doesn't make sense? He knows Arwen has no desire to go to Lorien, especially now, " Elrohir stated. This was the month of the anniversary of their mother's departure. And of all the children, Arwen had taken it the hardest. She always became very quiet during this time and she never ever left Imladris. He didn't even want to think what would happen if she was taken away from the only memories of her mother that she had. Couldn't Ada see that?

Cuddling Estel tighter to his chest, Elrohir stood up. "Let's go check on Arwen," he said. Together, the three brothers entered their sister's bedroom.

As soon as Arwen had come into the room, she had thrown herself on the bed sobbing. That's where her brother's found her. She heard the door close behind them and she clutched the pillow tighter against her body as the very thought of being away from them hit her. She felt the bed sink beside her as her brother's sat down. Elladan, who had his hands empty, leaned over and began strocking her back in an attempt to calm her down. She started sobbing harder as she came to the realization that she knew her brothers so well that she didn't even have to turn around and look at them to know that it was Elladan who was strocking her back. He picked her up and craddled her against his chest trying to comfort her.

"Shhh, Arwen. Calm down. Time will fly before you know it," he said, to which she cried harder.

"I don't want to leave, Elladan. Please, don't let Ada make me leave. I want to stay here!" she wailed.

Across from the two sat Elrohir who was still craddling the sniffling Estel against his chest. When the little boy heard his sister's words, he wiggled out of his brother's grasp. Shocked, Elrohir and Elladan watched as Estel crawled towards Arwen and threw his arms around her waist.

"Please don't cry, Arwen. Please don't be sad. Don't cry!" the little boy wailed with his face pressed again his sister's hip. Arwen reached down and pulled Estel up to hug him and craddle him against her. Elladan wrapped the two of them in a hug. The twins eyes had filled with tears at the little boy's words. The little boy who had put his own pain and shock aside to offer comfort to his unhappy sister. Elrohir stood up and moved to sit across from Elladan. He wrapped his arms around his siblings as they all cried together.

Unknown to them, the door had been cracked open a bit by a person. Their father watched from the hallway as the four embraced and cried together. The tears fell freely down his cheeks as he witnessed the love of the children for each other. Noiselessly, he closed the door again and slowly made his way down the hall towards his own room where he could stay until tomorrow when he had the painful duty of seeing his daughter off to Lothlorien.

The early morning rays found Elrond's children still in Arwen's room. The twins where curled up each at one side of the bed with Arwen and Estel in the middle. All of them had their arms thrown around each other as they had held each other through the night.

The first one to awaken was Estel. He opened his eyes and gazed above him trying to remember where he was. As he looked from one side to the other, he saw his brothers and sister still asleep. Leaning over, he placed a kiss lightly on Arwen's cheek which was stll covered with dried tears. 

After lying there for a few seconds, the desperation began to set in as well as the need to move around. Wiggling, he slid out of his siblings' embrace and crawled to the end of the bed where he got down. Silently, as to not disturb the others, he went over to the balcony to look at what was going on below. 

Not many people where up at this early hour. The only elves visible where the few that were gathered near the stables and the guards at the entrance of the house. Sighing, he settled down to watch what was going on. 

Elladan was the next to awaken. He immediately noticed Estel's disappearance and rose from the bed, leaving his brother and sister still slumbering. A quick check around the room revealed Estel sitting on the balcony. Quietly, he made his way over to his younger brother and sat down beside him. 

"Are you all right, Estel?" he asked the little boy who seemed lost in thought.

Estel just nodded and didn't say anything. He crawled onto Elladan's lap and cuddled up close to his brother. Together the two watched the activities below. More elves had joined the few that had been gathered at the stables and a few others were already going about their daily activities. 

Pretty soon they were joined by Arwen and Elrohir. The four siblings sat together watching everything below. So far, Elrond had showed no signs of actually going through with what he had said the night before. Their father hadn't even emerged from the house yet.

Arwen was sitting sniffling with her head leaned on Elrohir's shoulder. The twin had his arm around her shoulder and he had the other hand on Estel's arm. Elladan gently ran the back of his hand down Arwen's cheek to comfort her. 

The morning's activities seemed to be the same as always. Everyone was going about their business as usual. So maybe Arwen wouldn't be made to leave Imladris. There seemed to be no preparations for a trip anywhere. Maybe their father had rethought everything and was letting her stay here. They could only hope.

TBC…

A/N: Thanks to those who reviewed. I really appreciate it because this is my first fanfiction story.


	3. Part 3

Title: WHY???? Disclaimer: I own none of the characters. They are all creations of Tolkien. I'm sorry I haven't updated in a while but life has been hectic. Summary: AU. Arwen is being sent away and nobody understands why. Repost.  
  
Part 3  
  
Elrond stood watching his children from a hidden position on the opposite terrace. It seemed like they had never left Arwen's bedroom the night before. They were all wearing the same clothes as the day before. He sighed as he contemplated the scene before him. When would he see the four of them together again? If he had anything to do with it, not until either Arwen was mated or Estel married.  
Turning, he left the room he was in and headed down the hall towards the front hall. From there, he could see the escort team already gathering on the far side of the palace as he had instructed them. That way they were out of plain sight of the children. No need to cause them any added distress beforehand.  
For a moment, he doubted his decision. Maybe this wasn't the best thing for Arwen? Would Celebrian approve? Nonsense, he told himself. Of course it was the right thing to do. He was saving her from a lifetime of grief.  
With added resolve, he set about to compose a letter to his in-laws that was to travel to Lothlorien with Arwen and her escort.  
  
The four up on the balcony had relaxed a bit. It really seemed like their father wasn't going to go through with his orders. One by one, they returned inside but none dared to leave the room. It seemed to have become a kind of safe haven from their father. Here, the four were united and if need be the three brothers would forcibly keep their father away from their sister. They had all come to the decision that they weren't going to allow this to happen. Arwen was not going to leave Imladris if they had anything to do about it.  
So they sat about lounging in different spots of the room keeping themselves entertained. Elrohir was calmly reading in before the fireplace. Elladan was teaching Estel how to repair a tear in his tunic. Arwen was sitting on the bed sewing.  
Then somebody knocked on the door from outside. The four of them sat up straight. Arwen raised her knees up and hugged them, already beginning to tremble with the fear that it was most probably their father. Estel had moved to stand in front of the bed. Elladan and Elrohir both moved to open the door but at the same time block the entrance of anyone coming in.  
Slowly, Elladan opened the door and the four tensed waiting for the person to step inside.  
A young elf stood nervously on the other side. He was gazing up at the twins menacing postures and swallowing nervously. He slowly raised a covered tray that he had been sent to deliver.  
"Breakfast?" he asked.  
The four inside the room relaxed and sighed with relief. Elrohir took the tray from the nervous elf and handed it back to Elladan.  
"Thank you, Lindir," he said respectfully before shutting the door in the elf's face.  
He walked back towards the bed where his siblings were already savoring the food that had been sent up to them. None of them had eaten dinner the night before so they were all very hungry now. As Elrohir sat down to eat with his brothers and sister, he never imagined that their father had counted on that when he had the food sent up.  
  
The door to the room creaked open slowly. The person walked in making sure that his footsteps made absolutely no noise. Calmly, Elrond surveyed the children. They were all sprawled around asleep on the bed. The twins on either end of the bed with Arwen in the middle and Estel curled up in the corner. The sleeping powder had already made its effect on them.  
Gently, he picked up Arwen. His daughter barely stirred when she was moved. Instinctively, she cuddled up to her father just as she'd done as an elfling. Elrond smiled down at her. "My little Undomiel," he whispered and then another thought crossed his mind and he frowned. After today, who knows when she would do this again?  
  
Walking out of the room, he handed her to his second in command and most trusted advisor, Glorfindel. The blond elf frowned at him when he took Arwen into his arms. He was in no way in agreement with Elrond on this matter but he had to go along with it for the children's sake. If he didn't aid Elrond, the Elf Lord would find another way to do it, which could possibly be more dangerous to the maiden in question. At this point, Elrond was so set in his decision to send Arwen away that he would do anything at this point.  
Elrond stepped out of the room and closed the door behind him.  
  
Elladan opened his eyes and immediately felt incredibly groggy. He sat up fighting off a wave of dizziness that threatened to overcome him. Glancing around the room, he saw Estel and then Elladan. A frantic search revealed that Arwen was gone. His eyes fell on the tray of leftover food on the floor. In an instant, it dawned on him that they had been tricked.  
"Elladan! Estel! Get up! Both of you!" he yelled shacking his brothers. The two emerged from sleep slowly. Much to slowly for Elrohir's needs. He rushed over to pick up a jar of water and unceremoniously threw it at his brothers' faces. The two were awakened in an instant when the cold water hit their faces.  
"Elrohir! What are you doing?" Elladan sputtered wiping the water from his face.  
"Get up! Arwen's gone! We're been tricked!"  
Immediately the three were in motion, rushing towards the door. Elladan was the first to get there. When he tried to pull it open, it wouldn't budge. Pulling with all his might, he screamed in fury. "It's locked!"  
"WHAT?!?" the other two exclaimed. Elrohir tried to open the door only to come to the same conclusion.  
Meanwhile, Estel had run to the balcony to see what was going on outside.  
"Arwen!" he yelled as he saw Glorfindel carrying the still sleeping maiden. "Noooo! Arwen!!"  
The twins raced to Estel's side in time to witness Glorfindel gently hand Arwen over to one of the riders in the escort group. Elrond was standing behind the blond elf with his hands crossed across his chest and an unreadable expression on his face.  
"Ada, you can't do this!!!" Elrohir screamed from up above over and over again. A number of elves looked up to where the three brothers stood. Estel was panicked, Elladan, attempting to scale down the balcony and Elrohir screaming his lungs out as his father. Elrond simply ignored them and waved for the group of riders to proceed with their preparations.  
  
TBC.... 


	4. Part 4

Hi, everyone, I am sooo sorry I took so long to update but life caught up to me and I've been unbelievably busy lately with school, work and life. From now on I will try to update more often.

By now, the other elves were catching onto what was going on and were glancing nervously from Elrond to Arwen to the balcony. Elladan had given up attempting to get down and was hugging Estel who was crying out for Arwen through his tears. Elrohir hadn't given up yet but was now shouting threats in Quenya.

As a trumpet sounded overhead, the riders began to move towards the palace gates, taking Arwen away from Imladris. Estel was crying hysterically now, occasionally the words "Arwen" and "No" could be heard though his sobs. Elladan was holding on to Estel tightly. He also had tears running down his face as he watched his sister being taken away and he could do nothing about it. Elrohir had sunken down to the floor clutching one of the pillars of the balcony watching through the cracks below. He had silent tears running down his face as well. A burst of anger had him almost propelling himself over the balcony as he watched his father calmly turn around and head inside.

"I will never forgive you for this, Adar!" he yelled, turning he stormed inside, leaving his brothers staring at him in shock as well as the rest of the people below. Elrond had stopped in his tracks when he had heard his son's words. Inside, his heart was breaking but he had made his decision and he was going to stand firmly with it. No matter what. With a heavy heart and an unreadable expression on his face, he went inside.

Glorfindel was standing in the courtyard watching as his family crumbled apart. Because they were his family to him. Sadly, he gazed up at the balcony where Elladan and Estel were. Shacking his head, he headed up to try to talk to at least one of the brothers. Hopefully one of them wouldn't slam the door in his face.

A few weeks after Arwen's forced departure from Imladris, the Lord and Lady of the Golden Woods sat together watching their granddaughter. Arwen had arrived a few days before riding behind one of the escort elves. That in itself had confused the pair since Arwen usually rode her own stallion. She had been quiet and distant when she had greeted them but they had attributed it to the fact that this was the month of her mother's departure. They knew from what their grandsons and Elrond had told them, that she always got quiet at this time of the year.

But just by watching her, they could see that something was not right with her. Even Haldir had mentioned it to them. Arwen never even left the palace. All day she would sit on one of the talans and look out in the direction of Imladris as if hoping she would catch a glimpse of it. She ate when she was bade to, went to bed when she was led there. Some days it was hard to get her to rise from her bed. She was fading before their very eyes.

Concerned with her behavior, they had dispatched a message to Elrond. His response had arrived that day. But it only aided in confusing them more. Elrond claimed she was alright. That nothing was wrong with her. But seeing Arwen, they could tell something was wrong. Maybe consulting with the twins would give them some answer as to what was going on.

Back in Imladris...

The twin sons of Elrond hadn't spoken a word to their father ever since the day Arwen was taken away. Young Estel simply followed his brothers' lead. All in all, there hung a very uncomfortable silence inside the palace.

At the moment, Elrond was in his study. The twins and Estel were in Arwen's bedroom, the place where they could usually be found. They had been sitting there for awhile trying to come up with a way to get Arwen back.

"Maybe if we just went to get her?" Elrohir said, looking down at a map that was sitting before him.

"Father will know that we are headed that way the second we step foot out of Imladris," Elladan shot down the idea with a shake of his head.

"I saw Haldir the other day," Estel said trying to divert the conversation to another topic. When he noticed that everything had gone quiet in the room, he looked up from his drawing. His brothers were staring at him with matching shocked expressions on their faces. Suddenly, the two had lunged forward. Estel jumped backwards, startled by his brothers' sudden movement. Elrohir reached Estel first and took him by the arms. Kneeling before him, he made sure he was looking the little boy in the face.

"What did you say?" he asked.

Estel's eyes had widened at Elrohir's actions. "I saw Haldir the other day," he whispered, eyeing Elrohir cautiously.

"Here? In Imladris? When?" Elladan asked kneeling beside his brothers.

"I don't know. A few days ago. The day Glorfindel left for Mirkwood," the little boy answered.

"Why would Haldir come here?" Elrohir asked Elladan. "There would only be one reason. Arwen," he said answering himself.

"Estel, did Haldir have bring anything with him? Maybe a message or something?" Elladan asked turning towards Estel

The little boy thought for a moment in which his brothers waited impatiently. "Not that I can remember," the boy answered shaking his head. "He and Ada went into his study."

"Maybe he gave it to Ada in there. Then Ada would still have it in there, wouldn't he?" Elrohir said.

"Probably. You know how he is about keeping everything," Elladan answered. For the first time since Arwen had been taken away, there was a mischievous grin on their faces.

"But Ada is in his study. How do we get him out for enough time so that we can search for it?"

"What we need is a distraction," Elladan told him.

Meanwhile, Estel had gone back to his drawing but when he noticed the silence that had befallen the room, he looked up to see what his brothers were up to. He found them looking at him with him with a glint in their eyes. "What?" he asked warily.

To be continued...


End file.
